Never Trusted Her…
by CharlotteL
Summary: A/N: This was meant to be a single-shot but multiplied! AU story following the Good Wife canon, almost a sequel to 'Alicia, I think you need a friend.' An old adversary turns up with a surprising revelation from his client…
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was meant to be a single-shot but multiplied! AU story following the Good Wife canon, almost a sequel to 'Alicia, I think you need a friend.' An old adversary turns up with a surprising revelation from his client…**

 _Good Day Sunshine_ (The Beatles)

Chicago, March 2016 

The doors of the elevator open onto the 28th floor of Lockhart, Agos and Lee. "Ah, good to be back," the lawyer chirped, swaying as he exited the elevator car and made his way to the reception desk. The receptionist looked up in surprise at the visitor and his client. She recognised him so had no need of the card he placed on the counter.

"Diane Lockhart," he said, "we don't have an appointment," he smiled at the woman now dialling Diane's number. He watched and listened to the short conversation between the receptionist and the named partner. "Ms Lockhart will come down to meet you," she said.

Diane replaced the handset in its cradle and, keeping her hand on top of it, audibly sighed before muttering to herself, "What else can happen today?" She let go of the telephone, placed her palms on her glass desk and pushed herself from her chair. She took a breath then exited her office, striding confidently down the corridor to reception.

Smiling she extended her hand to the lawyer, "Mr Canning, what brings you here?"

Louis shook her hand and gesticulated at his client, "This is my client, Ms Isabel Hewitt. I think it would be better if we went to your office Ms Lockhart."

"This way," she replied walking back the way she came, aware that a dozen pairs of eyes were watching her lead Canning and Will's ex-girlfriend to her domain.

Once inside her office, Diane offered the pair a seat and returned to her desk. Seating herself at her table gave her confidence and authority. She felt she might need it.

"Well, Mr Canning, how can I help you?"

"I'll let my client explain," he replied, turning to face Isabel.

Diane regarded the young woman with suspicion, taking a breath as she tilted her head back slightly to look down at her. Isabel took a paper from her purse and stared at it in her fingers. Diane noticed it was a photograph and her blood ran cold as she sensed a deep foreboding. She tensed herself as the woman opposite her put the picture down on the desk and pushed it towards her, "This is my son. Will Gardner is his father."

Diane shut her eyes and pushed her lips together in an attempt to control any emotion that she might divulge unwittingly to Canning and his client.

"Excuse me," Diane said to her guests and exited her office towards her assistant's desk. She walked to the office opposite hers, knocked on the glass door with an urgency before opening it and saying, "David, we need you."

David looked up, "Canning?" he asked.

"Mm-huh" Diane replied as she turned on her heel and headed back to her office.

David got up from behind his desk and walked the short distance to Diane's office – a journey that Will himself had made countless times. Entering the room, he extended a hand to Isabel, "David Lee, Head of Family Law, we have met," he said smiling suspiciously at her. She took his hand, "Yes, I remember you."

David turned away from Isabel and Louis, rolling his eyes at Diane as he approached to perch on the windowsill next to her desk.

"It's good to see you again David, got your feet back under the table here at, what is it now, Lockhart, Agos and Lee?" he questioned, seemingly enjoying himself being the harbinger of doom to the Dryden Building.

"Why am I here?" David asked, adding, "my time is valuable and it isn't worth spending on _him_ ," his comment alluded to Canning.

Canning smiled at David. "My client has an eighteen-month old child. We are suing the estate of the late William Paul Gardner for child maintenance, by which we intend to challenge his will and…"

David interrupted, "Wait a minute, it is over a year since Will died, his last will and testament was filed with the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in 2014, it has been through probate and your child ma'am was not born then, nor was Will aware of his potential paternity. You cannot sue," he added, getting up and walking behind Diane.

Canning reached into his briefcase by his feet and removed a paper, "The will stated that, and I quote, 'in the absence of any issue, I hereby leave my partnership stake in Lockhart Gardner and any financial residue to Mrs Sara Atkinson (nee Gardner) and Ms Aubrey Gardner' – meaning that he would have left these items to any child he procreated."

Diane shook her head, "No, no, no, you can't. Will died without issue. His assets have been distributed. We haven't even discussed proof of paternity because we have no need." She felt herself getting angrier by the second and wished to rid herself of Canning and his, no doubt, lying bitch of a client.

"We are also suing the executor of Mr Gardner's estate for failing to determine the existence of rightful, legal heirs, in our case, his son, before filing the final probate account."

"Oh God," Diane exclaimed, taking her spectacles off and closing her eyes briefly.

"I understand you know the executor personally Ms Lockhart and also have a close relationship with one of the primary beneficiaries."

"Yes," Diane answered. "Have you been in touch with Will's family?" She asked, a lump in her throat as she thought of his sisters who were still grieving the loss of their only brother.

"No, not at present," Canning reassured her, "we wanted to present our case to you as the firm that handled his will and to the executor. He should be being served," Canning looked at his watch, "about now," he nodded.

Diane and David looked at each other. "Mr Canning," Diane began, "we need time to consider your application and speak to Mr Austen and others involved. We will be in touch regarding a DNA test, which we are certain your client will agree to," she stood up and lifted her head as she walked to the door, opening it for the lawyer and his client.

…..

A/N: So, this is just an introduction, I think it may run one or two chapters, just meant to be short. Let me know what you think. Alicia and Angela get involved next… along with another surprising revelation.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the follows and comments, pleased to see you are enjoying it. As I said it was meant to be a one-off but I found I couldn't stop writing! It might run longer than I thought.**

 _In Too Deep_ (Genesis)

Chicago, March 2016 

Diane closed the door and leant against it, looking at David Lee, "We need to move carefully here, even if she is lying, this could hurt a lot of people," she said quietly, still stunned by Isabel's revelation. She took a deep breath as she moved back to her desk. Sitting in her chair, she leant back, "What is our first move?"

David sat down in one of the oriental style chairs in front of her desk and took out his Bluetooth earpiece before beginning, "Well, we need to speak to David. He will need a lawyer," Diane nodded, David gestured at his own chest, "I will need a lawyer," he said, slightly exasperated, "but importantly we need that DNA test. I have contacts and can fast track one."

"Good," Diane nodded. "It is so unseemly, but we need to keep this quiet, involve as few people as possible."

"Yes," David agreed. Diane knew that for all his bluster and snarky exterior David Lee was a genuine friend, colleague and somebody who had cared about Will and was still shocked by his sudden death. She also knew that he valued the friendship of Will's most intimate confidante and would try to protect her as much as Will Gardner would have done.

"David will probably want you as his lawyer," David intimated at Diane. "Or one of his other friends," Diane added.

"No," David shook his head, "this involves Angela and he will want the best, and that is _you_ ," he said pointedly as he looked her directly in the eye. "Speak to him, but that is my guess."

"Yes," Diane sighed. "It will keep it close too." David nodded, "Now, I need a lawyer, but you cannot represent the two of us, so do we keep it in-house or go for external counsel?"

Diane fiddled with her fountain pen, "We need somebody we can trust."

"Who would Will choose? If we take you and David out of the equation, who would he trust with this?"

"Alicia. Will would trust Alicia," Diane replied swallowing hard. David nodded in agreement. "If you phone David, I'll get Alicia to come in here," he said as he stood up. "Don't worry Diane, we've all dealt with worse situations involving paternity, just think of Colin Sweeney," he chuckled as he left her office.

Diane looked up, Colin Sweeney, now that was somebody she could definitely do without! She steeled herself and picked up her telephone to call Angela's father.

….

Ten minutes later Diane, Alicia and David Lee were sitting in Diane's office. The senior colleagues had explained the situation to Alicia.

"I can't believe it. Will has been dead for two years, why now?" She asked, unsure of what to believe.

"My guess is that she has fallen on hard times and is in need of money. Personally, I think her claim is false and she doesn't realise we can still test Will's DNA. As hard as it is to understand, I believe Canning is an innocent party in this. Isabel has spun him a lie and he believed it. Maybe he was inclined to believe it more because of our history."

"Hmm, I think you are right," Diane mused. "Will wasn't stupid to get himself into something like this with that woman."

"But it was a crazy time for him," David added, "he wasn't himself after Alicia and Cary left," he said, looking at the brunette seated next to him.

Alicia flicked her vision from side to side, unsure of where to look. She was acutely aware that she had hurt Will when she left Lockhart Gardner to form Florrick/Agos. The raw pain in Will's eyes when he swept into her office that morning was more than she could bear, even over two years later. She was also aware of the relationship he had with Isabel and how it was a reaction to her leaving the firm. She felt a knot in her stomach as she realised, at least on some level, that she was partly responsible for the current situation.

"That's true," Diane noted, remembering the days after everything hit the fan.

"Does Angela know?" Alicia asked after what seemed like forever.

"Her father has been served by Canning, so possibly, although when I spoke to David he had only just received the paperwork," Diane replied.

"Okay," Alicia nodded.

"How was he?" David asked.

"As you can imagine he was livid. Will's estate was straightforward but complicated somewhat by his share in the firm and various investments, but looking for suitable heirs was not really in his remit," Diane replied, fiddling with her spectacles. "He said Angela is coming to the end of a shift and he is out for dinner so won't see her until tonight. I said we would call her later."

Alicia nodded. "What about DNA testing? We'll need to get samples, swabs maybe, from Will's sisters," she added.

"I do not know if Will's family will agree to a test," Diane said. "They don't really have a lot to do with Chicago and I haven't seen them since just after Will died. I know Angela is friendly with Sara, but it will still be hard for them to take," she mused.

"We need them to, to either confirm or deny this woman's claim," Alicia added impatiently, "there's no other way."

"Could we get DNA from another source? Angela has lots of Will's things, maybe a shirt or a brush?" Diane looked pensive.

"Would a non-standard source be sufficient to prove he wasn't the father?" Alicia asked, turning to David.

David Lee had been quiet during the discussion between the two women. He was thinking about something only he knew outside of those involved. A secret that Will had essentially taken to his grave. This was the time to divulge the details, but it was not his secret to tell. "I think we should ask Angela. Shall I call her or will you?"

"I will," Alicia said, excusing herself to go to her office to make the phone call.

…..

Within the hour Angela Austen arrived at Lockhart, Agos and Lee. Diane met her off the elevator and hugged her, "I am so sorry this is happening," she whispered in her friend's ear. "Thanks," Angela managed weakly. "I knew this would happen to him sooner or later, I just didn't think he would have passed away," she added.

In an effort to lighten the mood Diane said, "I did tell him to keep his pants zipped," she chuckled. Angela smiled and pulled away from the older woman before saying, "Come on, let's see what the Dream Team have come up with!" They laughed quietly and walked towards Diane's office.

…

"I didn't like her," David said shaking his head.

"You called her Yoko Ono!" Diane retorted.

"Yes, and I was right, look what she did to the Beatles! I know people think I am sneaky," he answered.

Diane snorted a little laugh, "No, David, no, no," she said sarcastically.

"Anyway, people think I am sneaky, but this is above me. I do not believe Will is the father of this child but I think Isabel has convinced Canning that he is, so that is why he is pursuing it. We just need to prove he is not the father and that will be it."

"We haven't considered that _Will could be the father_ ," Alicia interjected. Everyone looked at her.

"No," Diane shook her head, "he wouldn't be that stupid." David Lee shook his head in agreement with Diane.

"Angela?" Alicia questioned. The redhead had been very quiet. The whole day had been a blur and she felt like she had been thrown against a wall, much like she felt in the months after Will's death.

Angela looked down and twisted her cell phone in her hand, "It is possible as no method is 100% effective" she said finally, "but it would be a very, very small chance. I know at one point, Isabel said she wanted Will's baby, but didn't want him to be involved, he just scoffed and ignored it, he thought she was joking. In his mind, in his life, that was never a possibility."

Diane sat down, exhaling loudly. "But, surely, they," she paused, "especially Will, took precautions?"

"I know Isabel told him she was on hormonal oral contraception."

"The Pill," David confirmed.

"Yes," Angela agreed. "But, even if she wasn't taking it or forgot one day, Will still used condoms. _Always_ ," she emphasised.

"You sure?" Diane asked.

"Yes," she nodded, "it was part of our _agreement_ , for want of a better word. Regardless of who we were sleeping with and their contraceptive arrangements, we always used condoms with other people. Meant we didn't have to with each other. Since our relationship was essentially a lifelong commitment, it was best and, was the safest option all round."

Alicia stirred in her seat and her notepad fell onto the floor, causing everyone to stare in her direction. "Sorry," she mumbled, a little distracted. She crossed her legs after retrieving it from the carpet and took a heavy breath. She was concerned over what Angela had just said. When she and Will were dating, she had an IUD so they didn't have any need for additional precautions. Had he lied to Angela? Surely he wouldn't have given their friendship?

Angela chuckled, "OK, we're all adults here and know what went on," she said turning to Alicia, "there were a couple of exceptions to the rule. You were one of them. He trusted you. There had to be trust and unwavering affection between both parties to warrant breaking such an important rule."

Alicia smiled weakly and felt herself redden. "Was the other exception Frank?" She asked.

"Yes," Angela nodded, "he was," smiling at her friend.

"This is all very lovely," David interrupted, "but where does it leave us on parentage? Remember I said she was sneaky and there is more than one way to skin a cat."

"Oh David, I don't think she would be as cunning as the former Mrs Sweeney," Diane pointed out.

"Why not?" He replied. "She could have taken a used prophylactic and extracted its contents."

Diane screwed her face, "Oh, that is vile, no, no," she shook her head at the thought of it.

"It's not impossible. I never trusted her and if she was determined enough to have Will father her child, then it is a straightforward method. She just couldn't have planned for Jeffrey Grant…" her voice tailed off.

Alicia reached across from her seat and rubbed her hand up Angela's arm, who turned and smiled a thanks at her friend.

"We can question her motives and how the child was conceived later, for now we need to focus on determining if Will is the father," Diane said, staring at the three people sat in her office. "Angela, do you have a brush or toothbrush that might contain Will's DNA?"

Angela looked at the older woman, "Yes, his hairbrush is in the dresser. Also, some trace DNA will exist on some of his clothing," she replied. David looked at her, realising that she was pale, even for her and felt bad for what he was about to say. Leaning forward in his seat, he said quietly, looking at Angela, "There is another way." Shifting his gaze to the direction of the other women, he added, "We could test a perfect, uncontaminated sample of Will's DNA."

"How do you mean?" Diane looked puzzled.

Angela took a deep breath and turned to face them. "It is a bit of a long story," she said eventually.

"Okay," Diane replied a little unnerved.

Angela began, "Several years ago, just before you started here," she said turning to Alicia, "one of Will's basketball buddies, Jamie, developed testicular cancer."

"James Larroughby?" Diane questioned.

"Yes," Angela confirmed.

"He had to have surgery to remove the affected testicle and then undergo chemotherapy. He is fine now," she added quickly. "Now, although many men regain fertility after chemo for testicular cancer, it is not certain so he was advised to bank some sperm prior to his treatment. Although he was single and childless at the time, he decided to do it, just in case. As it turns out, he is now married and has a daughter. Will and I went to his wedding. Actually," she paused, "it was at Jamie's wedding that Jack Copeland served Will over a divorce case, remember him," she teased in Diane's direction.

"Oh, what is this?" David smirked.

"Nothing," Diane replied, "anyway you can't comment you were dressed as a pantomime dame!"

"I was in HMS Pinafore. It's Gilbert and Sullivan, much classier," he added trying to rebut Diane's claim.

"Anyway," Angela continued, "when the guys found out about Jamie's illness they wanted to do something to help, to do something useful beyond offering mere money to a fund."

"Uh-huh," Diane nodded. Alicia added, "That's nice, what happened?" David got up and walked behind Diane's desk, "Oh please, just tell them!"

Angela shot him a glare and began again, "One of them found a clinic, a charity, that men could donate sperm to for the use of patients who had lost their fertility through cancer treatment. The men who used the facility were primarily men in their 30s and 40s who had overcome cancer in early life, many in childhood, and who didn't have the option to save sperm for later life, either through their need for treatment, young age or the lack of fertility centres way back then. I think the age range struck a chord with the legal collective too – it could be them and, at that time, was one of their own. Will and his friends, I think about twenty of them in total, donated sperm to the clinic and $1000 each to help with treatment costs. They had to give three samples and that was really hard for Will as before each donation he had to abstain from sexual shenanigans for a period of time!" Everyone chuckled at that and Angela was pleased as it lightened the mood.

"So, we get the sample from this clinic?" Diane asked.

"No," David said, shaking his head, "that would require a court order. Angela, please continue."

Angela nodded. "The donations were all anonymous and who knows if any of Will's still exists. That is not what David is referring to about getting a good DNA sample." She rifled through her purse and pulled out a Kleenex to dab her eyes. "While they were planning this Will told me that he thought of banking some of his sperm separately, in case anything happened. Obviously, he wasn't thinking of what did happen, more if he got sick or had an accident that rendered him incapable of procreating."

"Mmm-huh," Diane bobbed her head, realising where the conversation was going.

"Will said that he thought it was a good idea and something that we could possibly use in the future if we ever got to the stage that we wanted to have a child together. Children had been discussed over the years and, at the time, neither of us was looking for a committed relationship and nor could we envisage really having children with anyone else. Although," she said turning to Alicia, "a few years down the line he probably would have jumped at the opportunity with you." Alicia gave a half smile and looked at her notes, not daring to meet either Angela's or Diane's eye.

"We had David draw up a legal agreement that stated that the only people who could use the sample were us together, as a couple, or, me alone. Will wanted that put in despite my pleas that I wouldn't have a child without him. He said that he could picture me raising a child without him but not the other way around. I reminded him my Dad was a single parent, but he rebuffed it, by stating that my Mom was around for my early years and anyway my Dad was much stronger and braver than he would ever be." She sniffed and took a deep breath, her eyes tearing up. "I think of that conversation often now and the irony that Will was shot trying to wrestle the gun from Jeffrey Grant and that took real strength and courage. Will Gardner died a hero and David Austen will simply die an old man," she cried and ran out of Diane's office, across the floor in front of her assistant's desk and through into David Lee's office, finding solace in his private bathroom.

Watching her flee, David noted sarcastically, "Pleased I moved the hooker out earlier."

Alicia stood, "I'll check on her."

"Thank you," Diane replied.

…

Alicia and Angela returned to Diane's office and the four of them continued to discuss the case.

The clause in Will's will was put in there because of this situation and the fact that," David paused, "there could have been a mini G running around somewhere in the future."

"Or the past," Diane added.

Alicia sighed. She thought about the time she could have been pregnant with Will's child during their affair. She felt herself blush as she remembered the leaked emails that mentioned her negative pregnancy test.

"Yes, who knows if Isabel is the only woman to come out of the woodwork," David commented.

"God, imagine being the woman who tells Will Gardner, "I'm pregnant!"" Diane snorted. David laughed along with her. The two younger women looked away, but not before glancing at the pain in the other's eyes.

 **A/N: Let me know what you think and where you think it will go. Do you want to know what was said in the bathroom? Sorry this chapter was quite long. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I've been away so not had a chance to update. Here is a short update, as the conversation between Alicia and Angela is basically in two parts – more soon.**

 _St Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)_ (John Parr)

Chicago, March 2016 

David Lee entered Diane's office and closed the door behind him. Diane looked up at him, giving a cautious, "Yes," as he sat down.

"I've spoken to the fertility clinic and Angela and I will go in tomorrow morning to sign some forms giving permission for one sample to be used for DNA testing. I will then co-ordinate with Louis Canning to ascertain a sample of both Isabel's and her son's DNA," he said.

"Dear God, I can't believe this is happening," Diane added, playing with the arms of her spectacles.

"Well," David began but was cut off by Diane saying, "Drink?"

He nodded and she turned to the cabinet behind her desk to remove a bottle of scotch and two glasses.

…

Alicia bit her lip, pulling her bottom lip over her teeth and grasping it with her front teeth. She wasn't sure exactly why she was here or really what she was going to say. She took a deep breath and knocked on Angela's apartment door. There wasn't an immediate reaction or shout from inside, so she calmed herself into believing her friend was out. Then she heard soft padding from behind the door as Angela walked down the hall. She opened the door with a quiet, "Hey," standing aside to let Alicia enter.

"How are you doing?" the brunette asked.

Angela sighed, "Not great," she answered walking over to the couch. "You?"

Alicia gave a weak smile and followed her, "Not sure," she said as she set her purse on the floor. "It is a shock to have somebody come along now claiming Will fathered her child."

"Yeah," Angela agreed, "honestly, I think she is lying, especially after this long. If Will really was the father she would have come round straightaway. Just doesn't fit. Plus, yeah, nothing is 100%, but I, I, don't think Will would have let himself get into that situation. Especially with her."

Alicia nodded, "Yeah. He was in a bad place when he was with Isabel, but," she paused, "he wouldn't be careless."

"No," Angela shook her head in agreement. "Contraception and safe sex was something he was never careless with. He knew the consequences and wasn't prepared to take the risk."

Alicia began, "When Will and I were together there was a time when I thought I might have been pregnant." Angela nodded, thinking about the leaked emails from Alicia's SA run. "I wasn't," Alicia added, "but for a time I thought I could have been carrying Will's child," she smiled at the thought, "it would have been a scandal, who knows what it would have done to my kids, or Diane, or Will," her voice tailed off.

"He would have been thrilled," Angela smiled at her friend. "I take he didn't know?"

"No," Alicia shook her head, "a test was negative; and then we ended our relationship, so I didn't have any need to tell him."

Angela closed her eyes, "You should have told him."

"Maybe," Alicia sighed. "Anyway," she began, "When Diane said, 'Imagine being the woman who tells Will Gardner, "I'm pregnant!"' I noticed your expression and the sadness in your eyes," she smiled at her friend, "maybe Diane did too."

Angela bit her bottom lip and looked away from Alicia, "Can't hide anything from you," she said, sighing gently as she got up to walk towards the scotch and poured herself one. "Want one?" she offered. Alicia nodded.

Angela handed Alicia a glass, saying, "I guess the flicker of recognition in your eyes was because of the pregnancy scare?"

"Yes," Alicia confirmed. "Something similar with you?"

"Not quite," Angela said, sitting down on the couch opposite her friend. Alicia stared at her and felt her heart quicken, as she ran scenarios through her head.

"Like you, I always take care of my own contraception, so usually have a contraceptive injection every few months. It is quick and you can forget about needing to take pills every day. I used to find taking them at the right time every day was a faff working shifts, so the long-term option was better. It also allowed for spontaneity in the bedroom, which, given the booty call relationship I had with Will, worked well," she smiled at Alicia, whose face flushed with colour.

"Go on," Alicia urged.

"This all happened years ago," she said waving her hand in the air, "I fainted at work and banged my head on the wall. After a period of observation, one of my colleagues called Will and he picked me up. He was really concerned."

"He always was when I was sick. Even at Georgetown, if I got as much as a sniffle, he would run to the drugstore to try to cure me!" Alicia laughed at her own words.

"Ah, yes. He would do anything to make you well again, scared something really bad would happen," Angela commented, smiling at Alicia.

"Anyway, back to you," Alicia nodded, taking a drink of the bourbon. She realised that her friend wanted, or more likely, _needed_ to tell somebody.

"He had to work so he took me to the office and made me rest up on his couch. This was when Stern, Lockhart & Gardener was in its infancy, so Jonas was still around. He came in and told me I looked like shit and that Will should take better care of me!" She laughed. "This was after I'd only been in his care for about twenty minutes, I felt so bad for him, but keep bugging him about the 'poor care' he was giving me!" Alicia laughed with her friend. "Anyway, he had to go to court, so asked Diane to keep an eye on me. I just lay on his couch and slept a little. A while later Diane had a meeting so had to leave and she arranged a different babysitter. When Will came back, he found me sitting in Diane's office watching a film with David Lee, surrounded by kettle corn and hundreds of sweets!"

"The Candy Man!" Alicia joked.

Angela smiled, "Yes, David is often misunderstood, but he has always been my friend," she added quietly.

"Will took me home and stayed with me. He had been given a little card at the hospital about head injuries and kept referring to it. He also put on my lab coat and joked that he had upped the level of care!" The two women laughed before Angela continued, "In the morning I was sick and he was really worried, because as he kept saying, 'it is on the card – vomiting', so he stayed home from work to watch me," she paused, " _like a hawk_!" she emphasised. "I wasn't allowed to do anything or he would have taken me straight back to the hospital."

"That's sweet," Alicia said. Angela nodded in agreement.

"He only left me in the afternoon because he had court and I felt and looked a lot better. However, he did keep texting me to check I was OK. I remember one message was, " _Not dead yet?_ "" They both laughed.

"He stayed with me that night too and in the morning I felt awful. I wasn't sick," she pointed out, "but I felt awful and looked really pale again. At that point, he started studying his little card again and told me that if I wasn't better by lunchtime he would take me to get checked out. I agreed and he went to work."

"Did you suspect anything? I know with my two I knew straight away, I had all the classic symptoms and my morning sickness was horrendous," Alicia asked.

"You think I should have done! But, I just put the sickness down to being under the weather, tired and Will's cooking! Apart from the sickness I didn't have any of the classic symptoms," she said shaking her head. "Will came back for lunch and asked me straight out if I could be pregnant."

"Wow!" Alicia gasped, "What did you say?"

"I told him it was possible, but I doubted it. I said if it would make him feel better I'd pick up a test at the hospital the following day, as I was adamant I was going back to work."

"What did he say to that?" Alicia was intrigued; she wanted to know how Will would react to a possible pregnancy.

"He didn't say anything. He pursed his lips together and bobbed his head before getting up and going towards his briefcase, from which he pulled a pregnancy test."

 _Flashback:_

 _Will looked a little deflated, but rubbed his hand on Angela's leg as he got up from the couch. He crossed the room to where he had left his briefcase and pulled out a small box. Turning to Angela he said, "Well, wouldn't hurt to give it a go now!" chuckling like an excited kid at the zoo._

 _Angela laughed gently, "Okay, if it would make you happy." She stood and took the box from him and began to walk towards the bathroom. Will followed her, but she turned to say, "Er… you can wait outside, there are some things we don't have to share," she smirked. Will nodded and sat on the bed while she took the test._

 _She came out and put the test stick on the dressing table, "Three minutes," she said before sitting next to him. Will instinctively grasped her hand in his. His palm was damp with nervous perspiration and he was shaking ever so slightly. She put her other hand on top of his, running circles across the top of his hand with her thumb. He sighed and turned to her, lifting her face towards his with his free hand and kissing her softly on the mouth. She responded and moved her hands to behind his back, running one hand up to his neck and mussing the hair at the back of his head. Will moved his hand from her face and down to her waist, moving her slowly backwards so they were lying on the bed. Caught in the moment, their nerves and fears melted away in the passionate embrace as they kissed and teased each other. Five minutes had passed and neither one wanted to move from their position on the bed. Angela was lying with her head on Will's chest. She could feel his heart beating fast through his clothing and fondled his tie, realising that her heart was probably beating a little too quickly too, however, it kept pace with Will's. Eventually, Will said, "Are you feeling brave?" Angela responded with a kiss. "Okay, guess that's a yes then," he said, sitting up. He reached forward and picked the test up, covering the little window with his hand so he didn't see the result._

 _Turning to face her, he said, "I never thought a child would be part of our life together, but if it is, I want you to know that I very much want it," he closed his eyes trying to fight the tears that were threatening to run down his face._

 _Angela brushed a tear away from his cheek and said, "I feel the same. Now I have the chance of something I didn't think I'd ever have, I very much want it," she said covering his hand that contained the test stick and squeezing it reassuringly. "And," she added, "I can't imagine being here with anyone else."_

 _Will leant forward and kissed Angela before saying, "Okay," and pulling the stick from between their hands. He looked down at the plastic that held so many new hopes and fears in its message, "What does it mean?" He asked, uncertain of what the image was telling him._

 _Angela took a short breath and replied, "I guess we made a baby!" Will let out a deep sigh, a long breath he hadn't realised he was holding in, and collapsed backwards on the bed._

…..

Alicia laughed, "Wow, he knew you so well to ask and then to buy a test. I can't believe that he would really be that," she paused, "tuned in, thoughtful, I don't know," she fumbled her words, still in shock at Angela's revelation.

Angela smiled and looked down at her drink. "Yeah," she began, "that's why I keep saying that _my Will_ was very different to the Will people saw in court or the Will people knew at SLG. I think at times you saw the real Will, think back, especially to Georgetown. And Diane did."

The brunette bit her lip and felt her heart quicken. She thought of their days at Law School and the little things Will did to make her laugh or cheer her up. She regretted not keeping in touch when she married Peter. In fact, if it wasn't for her children, she regretted marrying Peter. From getting to know Angela over the past year, she was beginning to know more about Will and the Will she had fallen for over twenty years ago was coming back to her. Angela also offered insight into what her life might have been like if Will had been in her life when she lived in Highland Park. She was certain that she wouldn't have needed a glass of wine at 3pm. She leant forward, cradling her glass in her hands, "What happened?"

…..

 **A/N: So, what do you think? Please review and let me know.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This is the continuation of Alicia and Angela's talk from the previous chapter. Thanks for the reviews and follows. I might put in the bathroom talk later.**

 _The Minute I Saw You_ (John Parr)

Chicago, March 2016 

Angela took a large gulp of her bourbon before placing the glass on the coffee table. Standing up she said, "So, yeah, Will was no Doogie Howser," she chuckled, "but he understood biology and he knew what was normal for me, hence buying the test."

"Yeah," Alicia said sadly, looking down at her glass. "Do you think he suspected I was pregnant, during our affair?"

"I don't know." Angela answered, turning to her friend, "If he did, he didn't say. Probably not, because even though he was perceptive and studied you so closely, you maybe didn't spend enough time together for him to realize. Also, you _weren't_ pregnant, so no real changes to note. He was too busy just eyeing you up and down to be fair," she laughed a little.

"Yes," Alicia nodded, "that's true. If I had been, he would have noticed."

Angela nodded and smiled at the brunette, before walking down the corridor towards her bedroom. Alicia took a moment to think about her time with Will. Her mind strayed to their time at Georgetown, to late night pizza and beer over their law books. She had an image of his smile before her eyes, a smile that was always the same to her: loving and playful. He always said her smile lit up the room, but for her, the way he looked at her, lit up her heart. She smiled to herself and sighed. Again, over time, through Peter, putting her kids first and by setting up her own firm, she had lost him. In his last few days he had started to come back to her, but the chance to re-establish what they had was lost. She blinked back a tear as she recognised that she, like Angela, now only had her memories.

Angela came back into the room holding a photo frame. Alicia took a breath as she saw the image in the frame was of Will, a much younger Will, but a post-Georgetown Will: a Will she didn't know. It made her feel a pang of jealousy that Angela had shared so many years with him. Although she knew him first, she didn't have nearly as long with him.

Angela held up the frame and smiled, giving a little bob in Alicia's direction. She opened the back of the frame and took out two small photographs, handing one to Alicia. The lawyer looked down at the black and grey image in front of her; it was a print out of an ultrasound scan. "Our baby," Angela said quietly as she put the frame on the table and sat opposite Alicia. She kept hold of the second image and ran her fingers across the picture. "Will was really excited," she began, "shocked but excited."

"I bet!" Alicia replied.

"I still wasn't totally convinced we were having a baby, so I arranged a sonogram at work the following day. Will," she paused, "Will was shaking when we first saw the image on the screen. He just couldn't believe it. Well, neither of us could. But it was good. Neither of us ever regretted it or called the baby an accident or a mistake. It was always a surprise. A happy surprise." She picked up her glass and took a sip of the alcoholic liquid. "He kept this picture in his wallet," she gesticulated at the paper in her hand, "you can still see the fold," she chuckled.

Alicia smiled at her friend, urging her to continue. She was curious, but she knew that Angela might not be ready to tell the whole story.

"Nobody knew about the baby, not Diane, nor my Dad or anyone at the firm. We kept it quiet. The only person I ever told was my Grandma and even that was years later, just before she died. So the only people who were aware of our baby are both dead. It is nice to share it with somebody," she said looking at Alicia, "it has been a big burden to hold onto on my own since Will passed. I wanted to tell somebody about our baby, as it was so special to us, but after so long, I feared that those around at the time, like Diane, might be offended that we didn't share the news then. Getting to know you, somebody who also loved Will so much, has been very good for me and I want to share parts of our life with you, to hopefully fill in the gaps from Georgetown to the elevator."

"Thank you," Alicia replied, smiling at her friend. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking, as you don't have a child."

Angela put the glass down and fiddled with the picture again. "Everything was great for a few weeks. Will used to refer to the baby as 'Baby G'," she smiled as she remembered the time. "We had to go back for another ultrasound about a month later. Will was eager to tell Diane, but I made him wait until after the twelve week mark."

Alicia nodded in agreement, "Yes, I did the same when I was pregnant with Grace," she rolled her eyes, "it wasn't quite so easy to keep my pregnancy with Zach quiet." Angela added, "Yes, I'd heard about that," she said, giving a brief nod. "Anyway, I wanted to wait until we got past the critical first trimester, just in case," she said shifting a little in her seat.

"But," Alicia added, "things didn't go to plan?" she questioned.

"No," she said, shaking her head, "no they didn't." Angela closed her eyes and opened them slowly, "To cut a long story short, when we went to the second ultrasound, there wasn't a heartbeat and it was found that the baby had stopped growing about two weeks before. It had died at around nine, ten weeks," she said calmly, swallowing hard.

"Oh God," Alicia said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Yeah," Angela said quietly. "I know all the statistics about miscarriage and, for all it is common, you never really expect it will happen to you. There is always a chance, so that was why I tried to hold Will back from telling people. I just couldn't cope with people's sympathy or explaining the situation if something went wrong. That was the only good thing – we hadn't told people – so I didn't have to suffer the sympathetic looks and hand-holding."

"I can't imagine what you two went through," Alicia began, "I am grateful I have never been in that situation."

Angela gave a weak smile, "I hope you never are."

"How did Will react?"

"He cried. I mean," she paused, "he really cried. Over the years I've seen him like that, maybe three times, when his Dad died, when we lost the baby…" her voice trailed off. "He said he felt lost, broken, he didn't know what to do, either for me or himself."

Alicia didn't know where to look; she looked down at her hands, across the room, out of the window. She couldn't look at Angela. She felt as lost as she imagined Will did. "Oh Angela, I really am so sorry," she said eventually, followed by a quiet, "Poor Will," as she wiped away a tear from her cheek. She noticed Angela was quietly wiping her own eyes. Alicia had not known Angela look quite as downcast, if anything she looked broken. Speaking about the loss of their child had reignited the pain of losing Will and reinforced to Angela that she was alone. Alicia stood and walked quietly over to her friend. She sat down beside her and put her arm around the redhead. "I can't do this now," Angela said, "sorry, I'll explain more later."

….

Later that evening, the friends had refreshed their drinks and composed themselves a little.

"Did you consider actually trying for another child?"

"No, no we didn't. We hadn't _tried_ for the first one, it was our little miracle, so we just continued as we had been. If we were blessed with the chance of a child again, then we would approach it in the same way."

Alicia shook her head, "I don't think Will would have done. He would have been so cautious you wouldn't have been able to do anything!" she smiled.

Angela chuckled, "Yeah, that's true."

"So, there was a history to storing his sperm for the future: to have the chance of another child, to be the family you couldn't be earlier."

Bobbing her head from side to side, Angela replied, "In a way. Will was keen for us to always have the chance of a child, whether we ever did or not. In terms of a family, yes, that would have been great, but," she said shaking her head, "I don't think we would have ever married. That," she paused, "that was probably more me than Will." Alicia nodded, understanding her friends' complex relationship.

"I think another legacy of Baby G was in his work."

"Cases involving kids, particularly babies, really got to him," Alicia said quietly. Angela nodded, a breathy, "Yeah," escaping from her mouth.

Angela added, "He also didn't really engage with kids much, that was partly his way, but it was also a kind of personal shielding as he still felt the pain of losing our baby."

Alicia recalled the cases involving children she worked with Will. One that stuck in her mind was the Willoughby case. It was a particularly traumatic case and it was during the trial that she and Will first kissed. She realised now that the pent-up passion within them and the pain Will felt at being accused of playing craps with a child's life by Patti Nyholm, was enhanced by the trauma of losing his own baby, many years before.

"He never said," Alicia said softly. "Will never said he could have been a father."

"No," Angela responded, "as we didn't get to bring a baby into the world, we kept it as something special just between us. I'm sure you two had your own secrets, things that are so personal that nobody else will ever know."

"Yes," Alicia smiled, "we did."

 **A/N: I've left it here for now – there is scope for more Alicia/Angela discussion. We will pick up with David, Diane and the DNA testing next.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I have been sick then thought I would wait to update my stories until the finale.**

 _Bad Moon Rising_ (Creedance Clearwater Revival)

.

Chicago, March 2016 

.

David Lee and Angela returned to Lockhart, Agos and Lee after signing papers to authorise the DNA testing. They were sitting in Diane's office waiting for confirmation from Louis Canning.

"What happens now?" Angela asked. David noticed she had been quiet all morning and thought her mood might have lifted once they were out of the clinic, but she still had a sad, sorrowful look in her eyes and barely said a word.

"Once Canning confirms a date for Isabel and her son to submit samples, I will instruct the lab to conduct the tests using Will's stored sample. The lab is fully AABB accredited for relationship DNA and is sufficient for legal claims. It is fairly straightforward and we should have the results quickly, I asked for them to be fast tracked."

"Thank you," Angela smiled weakly at his response.

"We want to avoid court," Diane said in a calm tone, bobbing her head slowly, "for everyone's sake. It doesn't want to become any harder than it already is and, if possible, I want to keep Will's sisters out of it."

"Yes," David agreed, "we would only go to court if Isabel failed to provide suitable samples."

Alicia knocked on Diane's office door and the older woman signalled for her to enter. Alicia waved her cell phone, "I have Louis Canning on the line," she said looking at Diane and David.

"Put it on speaker," Diane instructed.

Alicia complied, placing the phone on the desk for all to hear and contribute. "Mr Canning, you're on speakerphone, David Lee, Diane Lockhart and Dr Angela Austen are here. Please begin."

"Thank you Mrs Florrick," Canning replied. "My client does not want to subject her child to an invasive test, so we would like to apply for a temporary order for child support until such time as DNA testing can be performed with her approval."

Angela's head whipped round to look at David Lee, "She can't do that, can she?"

David shook his head gently, "She can. She is the child's legal guardian and only parent."

"So," Canning continued, "we will see you in court to begin proceedings for child support, backdated to July 2014."

"Not so fast, Mr Canning," Diane began before being halted by David shaking his head and waving his arms in a 'desist' motion. "Er, OK," she stumbled and hit 'End' on the cell phone.

David realised it was his turn to explain, family law was his fiefdom after all. "Nobody panic. She doesn't stand a hope of getting financial support without submitting to a paternity test as there isn't any evidence of Will being in a committed relationship with her, to compensate for testing at this point." Angela looked over at David and Diane, wondering what countered as evidence.

"What evidence would she need?"

"Not important Angela," David said waving his hand, "the relationship was short-lived and was primarily sex, _at least from what I saw_ ," he scoffed.

Angela swallowed. "What about the tattoo she gave him?"

"The, the, what?" Diane asked, a little incredulously.

"Will was drunk, passed out, and Isabel tattooed his arm. He didn't know anything about it until he woke up with a pain in his arm."

David's eyes widened and Alicia looked concerned. "What was the tattoo?"

"A turtle."

Diane laughed heartily and David chuckled, "A turtle? As in Teenage Mutant Ninja?" he questioned.

Angela shook her head, "Not quite David, just a small turtle, here," she said pointing at the crook of her left arm. "He was getting it removed, but you have to wait to begin treatment. My point is Isabel could say it was a commitment to her."

"I see," David mused, "I don't buy it as a symbol of commitment, but do you have a picture?"

"David!" Diane shot him down.

"What?" he squealed, "I'm curious."

…

"Hmm," David mused. "Will is not the father." Everyone turned to look at him. "Otherwise she would have freely allowed the test." The assembled nodded in recognition.

"That's true," Diane agreed.

"She might believe that Will is the father, but there could be some uncertainty," Alicia proffered.

"Maybe," David said, "it's possible she truly believes he is the dad, but had another lover which muddies the waters a little, causing her to question the child's paternity."

"Yeah," Angela added, "she could feel certain in herself but forced with confronting a fear, however small, that Will isn't the father, could force her to run. Especially if she wants, or needs, the money to raise the child."

"Orrrr," David let the word roll off his tongue, "she is faking it and knows definitively that he isn't the father. Anyone smell burning pants?"

Angela smiled at him, "Another possibility," she nodded, "I tend to agree with that idea. He wouldn't let himself be trapped, especially as Isabel mentioned to him she wanted his baby. However, mocking she tried to be, she still said it."

"It's always possible he is the father," Alicia said in a quiet tone.

"Yeah," Angela agreed, "but the dates don't quite match up," she said, a determined look on her face as she began to consider the facts. "If the child was born in July, assuming a full-term pregnancy, she would have had to conceive early in the relationship – you'd have thought he might have noticed something," she suggested.

"Or not noticed something," Alicia added.

"Yeah," Angela nodded.

"Anyway, regardless of whether she wants to submit to testing, she will have to," David added. "We will be filing a motion with the court to make a request for genetic testing. The judge will grant the request and Isabel must cooperate with the laboratory testing or face the consequences."

Diane agreed, "She has no option but to submit to testing."

….

.

Two days later, David Lee opened the file containing the paternity tests results. The outcome of the DNA test had been shared with him as the lead attorney on behalf of Will, the alleged father, and Louis Canning, the lawyer representing Isabel Hewitt.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he considered the results. He was aware that the results had far-reaching consequences. If Will was proven to be a father, his sisters would need to be informed, especially as they could face a claim against their inheritance, Alicia and Angela would face some soul-searching that somebody else had borne Will a child despite them being the only women he loved, and Angela's father could be sued for failing to properly execute his duties. He opened his eyes to read the results and laughed out loud, throwing his head back against his desk chair.

.

David entered Diane's office and sat down in front of her desk; he rested the file on his lap and tapped the corner with his finger. "Are those the results?" Diane asked.

"Yes," David nodded. "M&M?" he asked, pushing a small plastic box in her direction. Diane shook her head and looked away, recognising that David often proffered sweets to divorcing clients to prevent them from crying. He stood up and placed the file on the desk in front of her before walking towards the window.

Diane opened the file and rested her right hand on her forehead. "Does Canning know?"

"Yes," David turned to face her, "he also got a copy of the results. I am expecting his call any moment."

"Shall I tell everyone?" Diane asked.

"Well, Alicia is coming down the hall," David suggested.

"Yes," Diane agreed.

David opened Diane's door and waved in the direction of the brunette, "Alicia, do you have a moment?" She nodded and he closed the door behind her. "Take a seat, Alicia," Diane offered.

"OK," Alicia began, "how can I help?"

"It's not work," David said, waving his arm in front of his body, "we have the DNA test results."

Alicia sighed and looked down at her cell phone, "Oh," she said somewhat resigned.

"Will is not the father of Isabel's child," Diane said in a calm voice.

Alicia looked up at Diane, letting out a breath she was unaware she was holding in. Her hand flew to her mouth as she muffled a slight sob, a reaction to the relief that Will had not fathered a child and a release of the tension that had filled her heart since she heard of Isabel's claim. Alicia knew that Will had only dated Isabel as a reaction to her leaving Lockhart Gardner and blamed herself for the situation, so she was relieved that she hadn't caused him to miss out on a chance of fatherhood. Being a mother was her most important role and, although he never told her personally, she had become aware of the fact that Will was not totally averse to taking on the role of a father.

 **A/N: What do you think? Did you want Will to be the father?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This continues on from Chapter 5, following receipt of the DNA test results.**

 _Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)_ (Alan Jackson)

.

Chicago, March 2016 

Later that day Diane met Angela at her apartment and told her the results of the DNA test. After they had discussed the outcome and the relief over not having to break such news to Sara and Aubrey, Diane turned her attention to a slightly different topic.

Diane sat beside Angela and, being cautious not to upset her friend, took her right hand in hers and said gently, "I know," as she looked in her eyes.

Angela took a quick breath, her eyes searching Diane's face for a clue, for an answer to her statement.

…

Flashback – March 2014

 _Angela and Diane speak on the telephone before Will's funeral._

" _I'm so sorry you can't be here," Diane said holding back tears, "but Will's family wanted the funeral as soon as possible. I tried to explain, get them to postpone, but, well, you know them, it fell on stony ground."_

" _Thank you for trying Diane," she replied, taking in a deep breath. Diane smiled and wished she could comfort her friend. Hearing her reaction to Will's death the previous day had scarred Diane's heart – Angela's pain and sobbing had been so raw and she couldn't console her as she had with Alicia the day Will had died. Although Diane felt alone at Lockhart Gardner, Angela was physically alone and isolated from her family and friends at the very time she needed them._

" _They have handled all the arrangements, so I am not sure what is happening, but if you want something saying or reading at the funeral I could ask," Diane said before adding, "I know how you feel about cut flowers, so you won't want an arrangement sending."_

 _Angela closed her eyes, "You know me so well, but no, I don't want to intrude on their family when I can't be there. I do wonder what will be said in the eulogy though, as his sisters really didn't seem to understand him," she smiled at her comment._

" _They did drive him mad!" Diane commented._

" _There is one thing, Diane. Do you know what happened to Will's wallet?"_

" _No, no I don't. I expect if the Police do not need to keep it in evidence it was returned to the family. Why?"_

 _"Oh," Angela seemed downcast, "well can you do something for me?"_

" _Yes, if I can."_

" _Can you please go to my apartment and pick something up?" she asked, before specifying, "A small pink envelope in the top drawer of my nightstand. It is very important_ , personal _," she highlighted._

" _Yes, do you want me to send it to you?" Diane asked, wondering what it had to do with Will's wallet._

" _No," Angela sighed and shook her head, even though she knew her friend couldn't see her. "I want you to see that it is placed in Will's pocket, so that he is buried with it."_

 _Diane took in a quick breath. "I will," she said quietly._

" _Thank you," Angela said, smothering a sob with her free hand._

 _._

 _After they ended their call, Diane walked into Will's office and took a deep breath as she surveyed the room; it was a shell without him and it just didn't seem real that he would never return to bask in the glory of his partial corner. She opened the top drawer of his desk and took out a small bunch of keys: a key to Angela's apartment hung alongside one to her E-type. Diane smiled as she remembered how much Will enjoyed driving the car and how serendipitous it was that David shipped it to the States during Will's suspension._

 _As she entered Angela's apartment, she saw evidence of Will: his favourite Scotch on the drinks table, a pair of shoes by the door… She shook her head, her hair falling against her face and moved towards the bedroom. Her eyes strayed to the picture of Will by the bed – he was much younger, younger than she had ever known him – and she smiled. Opening the drawer in Angela's nightstand, she quickly found the envelope. She assumed it must be a love note between the two of them, as Angela had said it was personal. It must be pretty old, maybe from their early days of courting, as the envelope was scuffed and quite battered as if it was moved from purse to purse. As she moved to put it in her own purse, she dropped the unsealed enveloped and the contents fell out. It wasn't a letter._

 _She heard Angela's words in her mind:_

"It is very important, personal."

" _Oh Will," Diane sighed as she picked up the paper and sealed it in the envelope._

….

.

The two women broke from their embrace as Diane's cell phone continued its incessant ring. Diane shook her face briefly as she took the phone from her purse, she answered it, "David, yes, I'll be back in the office in thirty minutes. Bye." Angela wiped away her tears, "You should go," she said quietly. Diane nodded.

As Diane headed for the door, she turned to Angela, "You should talk to Alicia. She also needs to resolve her feelings for Will over this."

Angela nodded, "Yes," as she walked after her. "Diane, thank you for keeping our secret. I am pleased you know."

Diane smiled at her, "It wasn't my secret to tell and I understand why neither of you let on."

 **A/N: OK, so there is only one, maybe two, chapters left, which involve Angela and Alicia together, then this story is complete. Let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and your patience. I am pleased the majority were happy with the results of the DNA test. I am looking to bring this story to a close, so after this chapter there is only one more.**

 _Only You_ (The Flying Pickets)

.

Chicago, March 2016 

As she waited for Alicia to arrive, Angela sat in a booth at their usual bar, spinning her cell phone through her fingers, so every now and again it banged lightly on the table. She was distracted; her mind was on Will and his relationship with Alicia. She was trying to reconcile her feelings for Will with those Alicia held for her best friend. Angela always knew that the shadow of Alicia hung over their relationship, as Will was honest about his past, and continuing, feelings for the brunette. She had also always managed to ignore it, especially as for nigh on a decade Alicia was not in Will's life, but the moment they reconnected all their lives changed.

Angela sighed as she wondered what would have happened in her life if Alicia had not come to work at Stern, Lockhart & Gardner. She doubted she would have walked down the aisle, especially not with Will, but maybe things would have been different. Just as she was beginning to sink to even more maudlin depths, she spotted Alicia. She waved at her friend and poured a glass of red wine for her.

"Sorry I'm late," Alicia confessed, "court overran and I had to go back to the office to leave some paper," she said as she took off her coat and sat down.

"Don't worry about it," Angela replied, shaking her head.

"Diane said she told you about Isabel and the results of the DNA test, so that is good news," Alicia smiled weakly. "I just can't imagine a mini-Will-Isabel hybrid running around," she added a little more jovially, shaking herself dramatically with the line.

Angela chuckled, "No, me either," she shook her head, "and if Will knew that had happened he'd probably kill himself!" she said sarcastically. "Do you know why she did it? Was it money?"

"No," Alicia shook her head, "but David Lee is considering countersuing for defamation as Isabel suggested neglect and reckless abandonment, we'll see. Probably, nothing will come of it. Personally, I wish Isabel and her claims would just go away. This has really got to me," she said taking a large gulp of her wine. The shock of the alcoholic liquid hitting the back of her throat, caused her to choke a little and cover her mouth.

"Me too," Angela nodded, "it has brought up lots of old feelings and sadness, alongside the happy memories. But what it has done is focus my mind on the time you left to form Florrick Agos."

"Oh," Alicia said in a downcast voice, realising that Angela still held the pain she caused Will for the manner she left the firm against her.

"Yeah," Angela added, "but I don't want to talk about that now. The issues we are currently dealing with are hard enough. My point is that Will was different, or," she paused, "acting in a rash way, when he met Isabel, and trying to hide the pain he was in so, I don't think he was acting in his own best interests. After all, he ended up with a tattoo!" She smiled at the last comment and took a drink from her wine.

Alicia mirrored her friend and sipped the red liquid. "I think I know what you are saying. I am sorry for the hurt I caused and I know it wasn't limited to Will, but I did leave for my best interests and to stop anything further happening with him."

Angela nodded, "I know that," taking another drink of the wine. She looked at the nearly empty bottle adding, "We should get another." Alicia agreed and attracted the attention of the bartender.

.

….

.

Angela swirled the remains of her wine around in her glass before she began, "Diane knows about our baby," she said quietly.

Alicia looked directly at her friend and reached out her hand to touch Angela's free hand, "How?" she questioned, adding, "When did she find out?"

"She told me a couple of days ago that she had known since Will died," Angela began. Alicia took in a sharp intake of breath at Angela's words.

Angela steeled herself to continue, "I'd asked Diane to put a copy of the ultrasound scan in Will's pocket so that he was buried with it. He'd always kept a picture in his wallet, but as that was not available, I asked her to collect the one I carried with me from my apartment and use that. We had three copies of the scan – one each that we held close and the final copy was behind a picture of the two of us in my old apartment. I kept the picture in a small pink envelope – as Will was convinced it was a girl – and moved it from purse to purse. When Diane found the envelope it wasn't sealed and the picture fell out – she drew her own conclusions but kept them to herself as she didn't want to cause me any further pain so soon after losing Will."

"She knew all that time and didn't let on," Alicia said as she bit her lip, trying to stop the moistness in her eyes from forming tears that would roll down her throat. This – keeping a secret for her friend bolstered Alicia's admiration for Diane and her strength of character.

"No," Angela smiled and shook her head, "she said she understood why we didn't tell anyone and felt that it wasn't her secret to tell," Angela pushed her own lips together to try to keep her composure.

"I'm pleased she knows, as I hated keeping it from her, but telling more people, especially at the time was too painful. I know talking is meant to heal, but right there, in that moment, it wasn't. Talking about our child with anyone other than Will would have driven a stake through my heart. I wasn't ready to open up, but now I am. Now that Will is gone, I only have my memories and one of those memories was of a hope for a better future, a better life. Sadly, it wasn't to be, but it is a happy memory and one that I treasure." Angela finished her wine and looked over at Alicia, who was wiping her fingers under her eyes.

.

 **A/N: So let me know what you think. Only a little bit more to go. There are crossovers with this and my "Alicia, I Think You Need A Friend" story, so if you enjoyed this short one, take a look at that. Thanks for reading.**


	8. Epilogue

**A/N: Thanks for the all the follows, favourites and lovely reviews. This is the final chapter in this story. I only meant it to be short, but it multiplied! This chapter takes place much later than the rest of the story and I hope you all like the way I took the story – some of you who are strong A/W shippers might not fully agree, please don't hate me, but I think it offers closure to all the characters. Also, a few people asked about the third time Will cried so I have included a reference to that.**

 **.**

 **Epilogue**

 _Words_ (Boyzone)

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Chicago, August 2020 

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The elevator doors opened onto the reception area of Lockhart, Quinn & Associates and a small boy ran out, laughing and giggling as he moved from side to side down the corridor towards Diane Lockhart's office. His mother ran quickly after him, apologising as she covered the distance from reception to the partners' suite. "Paul, Paul, stop running, please darling," her words were not wasted as the child did slow down, but he probably chose to do so of his own free will. Like his father, he was quick to demonstrate his own mind and often winked in the face of authority.

As he walked the last few feet to the secretary's desk next to Diane's office, he smiled at those he met before giggling loudly at the feet of David Lee. "Hi," he said, looking up at the Head of Family Law.

"Hello young man," David replied, before asking the young man, "should we go to my office to get some candy?" The little boy's face lit up as he looked up the older man, nodding furiously and dancing a little in his excitement.

"He's such a sweet boy, Angela," Diane said as she watched David and Paul select chocolate through the glass-panelled door.

Angela smiled at Diane's comment; any praise for 'her boy' was always tinged with sadness that his father wasn't there to share the pride she had in 'their boy'. "Yeah, he is," she added.

"Is David with you?" Diane asked.

"No, he ran into Alicia in the parking garage, so they are talking about the joys of being a grandparent."

"I see," Diane pondered.

Alicia had recently become a grandmother as Zach and his wife had welcomed a daughter, Amelie, after returning from France. She was relishing the time with the little girl, especially given the outcome when an old girlfriend of Zach's had become pregnant several years ago. Even though she didn't know about the baby at the time, she felt its loss deeply, as it was part of her.

"He'll probably still be chatting when we need to leave for the airport!" Angela added.

"When are you back?"

"The twenty-eighth," Angela confirmed. "Plenty of time for my Dad to show Paul around the motherland," she joked.

Diane laughed, "Oh, I can imagine!"

Angela nodded, "Yes, we're going to spend time in Cambridge, show Paul my grandparents' house, the university, etc. before we do the more touristy things in London. Dad is really looking forward to showing Paul off to his old friends and colleagues," she chuckled. Diane laughed with her, "Oh yes, he is so proud of you both," she said touching Angela's arm, "I can't believe how much that little boy has lightened his character and reinvigorated him. Seeing them together reminds me of when I first met you both and he was a young father, but it also makes me think of how happy he must have really been when you were Paul's age and Valerie was still alive." Her comments were bittersweet and caused Angela to sniff to stifle a cry as she thought of how hard her father worked to raise her and to ensure she had strong females in her life to compensate for losing her mom so young.

"That's a good point, Ms Lockhart," Angela smiled at her friend, "he's like a kid himself! But I am glad that Paul has his influence as his Dad isn't around." 

Diane nodded, "He's here in spirit and in what you do. But, most of all," she said pointedly, "Paul knows who his father is and knows that he is loved."

Angela smiled and bit her lip as Diane was doing a good job of raising her emotions. "Mmm-huh, he certainly is. He is wanted child. A child that was wanted by both his parents, even if his momma didn't realise she needed him."

At this comment Diane put her hand on Angela's forearm again and squeezed it, "Yes, our Will was very aware. He knew that you would make a good mother and raise his child; he didn't think he could do it if life had thrown him the curve ball."

"Get you with the sports analogy!" Angela interjected.

"Yeees," Diane chuckled. "See, he is here!" They both laughed and walked into Diane's office to sit down.

"There is a strange irony to my life though, Diane."

Diane looked up from her desk, "You mean because your Dad was a single father and you are a single mother?" she questioned.

"Yes," Angela confirmed Diane had hit the nail on the head, "I'm still wracked with guilt as to whether I did the right thing, bringing a child into the world without a father. It's not as if we were divorced or he was a one-night stand, Will is dead," she said looking out of the window.

Diane fiddled with her spectacles, "Paul is not somebody to feel guilty about. Saying that, do not feel selfish for having him either. Will was sure that if a mini-Gardner ever came along, you would be his or her mother, so he approves. Paul is lucky to have so many people in his life that knew Will and that can tell him how wonderful, intelligent, and, well," she paused, "crazy, he was. He won't want for any love and he knows where he comes from, and he was born out of love. Not every child in Chicago can say that."

Angela smiled at Diane, "Thanks."

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…

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Downstairs in the garage, David Austen and Alicia Cavanaugh laughed as they regaled each other with talk of their respective grandchildren.

"I waited a long time to be a grandfather, indeed, I'd really given up hope of Angela having children, especially once Will died." Alicia nodded a quiet "Yes," to David's comments as it reiterated to her that Will and Angela really were a couple that weren't a couple, and that however much he loved her, Will would always have another woman in his life.

"As you know, they lost a baby many years ago – a child that would now be in High School - so I am so grateful to God for Angela to be blessed with Paul."

Alicia looked down at her shoes, before adding, "I can't comprehend what they both went through, especially with keeping it secret for so long. Angela said the time they lost the baby was the saddest and most stressful period of their entire lives and that includes Will's suspension. I've known Will a long time, seen him angry, seen him hurt, but never seen him really lose control to the point of crying. But, apparently he did then."

"Yes," David nodded sadly, "he did. Angela said she'd only seen Will in that state a few times and each time it involved the loss of somebody close to him. A pain that ripped through him," he said quietly as he thought back to his own loss when his wife passed away.

Alicia nodded and gave a weak smile as she listened to the older lawyer talk.

"The first time Angie saw him reduced to sobs was when his father died, he was so raw and helpless, but had to stand up for his sisters and deal with arrangements. I understand it was much the same when they lost the baby. He tried to be the strong one for Angie, but ultimately they were both as weak as each other." He took out a cotton handkerchief and dabbed his eyes, the emotional recollection taking its toll on him.

"If you don't mind me asking," Alicia began, "what was the third time?"

"Oh my dear," David said looking into Alicia's eyes, "it was the day you left Lockhart Gardner with Cary Agos."

"Oh!" Alicia took a sharp intake of breath as she realised she had been the cause of Will's final painful, emotional collapse. She put her hand to her mouth as David's words ran through her head: _each time it involved the loss of somebody close to him. A pain that ripped through him_. Her leaving the firm had cut through his heart – she knew she had hurt him, betrayed him, by his actions when he swept her desk onto the floor and escorted her out of the office. He felt he had lost her. He had lost somebody close. She had lost him that day. Over the coming months they fought in and out of court and only really began to reconcile right before he died.

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….

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"I became a father at a young age and, well, Angela is your age, so could very well be a grandparent herself, so I do worry about Paul's future. I was a single parent but I was young, under thirty, Angie is much older."

"Don't worry, David. We can't predict anything and it is pointless trying to. If nothing else, my life has taught me that."

David nodded at Alicia's logic.

"My son almost made me a grandmother when he and I were much younger. He was a High School student and his girlfriend became pregnant. I didn't know until much later. Sadly, they decided to terminate the pregnancy so, even though I was unaware of it when it happened, I still feel a loss when I look at Amelie."

"You understand my pain," David said softly. "Sometimes when I look at Paul, I think to myself, you should have a sibling. Occasionally I find myself wondering what life would have been like if Baby G had been born. But, hey, you're right, I should live in the present," he said, smiling at Alicia.

Alicia nodded, "Yes, that is what I'm trying to do."

"I'm pleased you are back working with Dee," David said, giving a little wink in Alicia's direction.

"Me too," she replied. "The new firm is great, even if it isn't the all-female firm Diane and I envisaged four years ago, it is a relatively fresh start for all of us. I'm pleased to have been invited to be part of it earlier this year."

"Good. I understand Elsbeth might be joining too, she would certainly add an air of eccentricity to proceedings," he chuckled. Alicia smiled before looking at her watch, "Shouldn't you be going if your flight is at three?"

.

…

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David Lee walked hand in hand with Paul out of his office and was immediately met by two female secretaries and a new junior associate called Cara, who swooned at the young man. They oo-ed and coo-ed at Paul, saying how handsome he was and how he would be popular with the ladies. David scoffed and shooed them away, knowing that if he took after his father, Paul David Austen-Gardner really would be a handful. Diane and Angela both laughed at the scene in front of them.

"He's got that twinkle, the same look that Will had," Diane observed as she and Angela moved towards them.

As Angela took Paul into her arms, she thanked David and pulled at an envelope from the pocket of her shoulder bag. "Can you give this to Caitlin?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"It's an invitation to Paul's birthday party for Zoe. I haven't seen her and if I wait until we get back, it doesn't give her much notice."

"Thanks," he smiled putting the envelope in his inside breast pocket. David had always got along with Angela, regardless of his feelings towards Will, and it pleased him that his beloved niece was now her friend and that their children played together. After the sometimes frosty relationship Caitlin had with Alicia, it was pleasing that Angela was a warming presence. She had also helped to re-build relations between Diane and Alicia following Peter's court case.

Angela was also grateful for the friendships she had built through the law and for how Diane and Alicia had helped her to cope with Will's death. Ultimately, it was memories of Will and the birth of his son that had held these friendships together over the years. The Gardner charm really did soothe troubled waters.

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 **A/N: So let me know what you think, I hope you enjoyed it. I might edit the ending a little as I'm not entirely happy with it.**


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